Next generation breathes new life in Serbian team

Dusan Ivkovic relied on a group of promising young players to help bring Serbia back to the top of European basketball and the move paid off with an impressive runners-up place in last year’s EuroBasket in Poland. Now the young Serbs set their sights on conquering the world.

Last year, Serbia showed they could win without most of their NBA players. Dusan Ivkovic led a rejuvenated team to the Silver medal at the EuroBasket 2009 in Poland. At the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey, they will have to repeat this level of performance to truly prove Serbian basketball is back at the top of the world.

Since Yugoslavia earned the gold medal at the 2002 FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis, their results have been worse and worse. They finished 11th at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, then 12th at EuroBasket 2005 on home soil, 11th at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan and a disappointing 13th place at EuroBasket 2007 which was not enough to qualify to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. At that point, Serbian basketball was seen to be in a deep crisis.

Dusan Ivkovic, who had earned a Gold medal with Yugoslavia at the 1990 FIBA World Championship, was called back to rescue the National Team. He built a young team with promising players who were ready to play hard for their country. Nenad Krstic, Dusan Kecman and Milos Vujanic were the most experienced players while alongside them, Novica Velickovic, Milenko Tepic and Milos Teodosic also rose to prominence to help Serbia qualify for EuroBasket 2009.

Ivkovic then brought an even younger team to Poland last year by including the likes of Milan Macvan, Nemanja Bjelica and Miroslav Raduljica. Success was not long in coming as Serbia defeated Spain in the opening game before an eventual epic semi-final when they eliminated Slovenia in overtime to set up another clash with Spain. They were not able to repeat their first round performance and lost to Spain in the decider. Nevertheless, a team was born and Ivkovic and the players had brought Serbia back to the top of European basketball.

A superstar was also born in the form of Teodosic who revealed himself as one of the very best players on the continent and was named in the All-EuroBasket First Team. The point guard had 20 points and 12 assists against Lithuania in the Qualifying Round, and then scored 32 points against Slovenia in the semi-final.

This new generation is not in its prime just yet despite all these players having grown since EuroBasket 2009. Teodosic was named MVP of the Euroleague, Kosta Perovic won the Eurocup with Valencia. Tepic is now playing with Panathinaikos Athens, and Velickovic with Real Madrid. Milan Macvan, Raduljica and Bjelica have also gained more valuable experience with their respective club teams.

All these players have played together for three years and, consequently, team chemistry is definitely one of their main forces. Ivkovic has also decided to call back Darko Milicic – who had not played for the National Team since EuroBasket 2007 – but the centre decided not to come.

Serbia have the potential to win the Gold medal in Turkey. They will be eager to show that they are back at the top, right where they were in 2002. Serbia will however have to be vigilant in the Preliminary Round against a young team from Germany and also Argentina. Australia can be dangerous too, and they will of course have to beat Angola and Jordan.